Our journey through homeschooling…for the sake of our Beloved!

‘So its going to be a long day?!’

said my daughter excitedly as we sat in the car 8.30 am this morning! i had just informed her of the day’s plans.

We missed our Thursday Home Ed group last week and she has been counting down the days to today. I really don’t think our Home Ed would be the same without our trips to our Thursday Home Ed group. She loves, I love it and I think so do all the other Muslim home educated kids (and their Mums!)

Today was just lovely. All the kids entered the gates and they were given a sheet of paper and had to complete a treasure hunt trail (all children aged 3 to 13 did one) and they were given a prize once they completed it. They had to find all the pictures of girls/boys (see pic below) look at their names on the sheet, write down the age of the child next to the name on the sheet and if they were old enough – they had to add all the ages at the end. There were about 10 pictures to find in quite a large outdoor space. They were so happy when they completed it.

By the way, that isn't me holding up one of the treasure hunt pages! lol!

After that, a sister who is a fitness instructor and home edder got them to do some sports games. The kids loved it. I really don’t know where this sister gets her energy from mashaAllah (must be her diet and strict fitness regime mashaAllah).

Then, we laid out the tables full of food and treats and everyone took a plate and helped themselves.

If that wasn’t enough, today was the first day of the cycling club for sisters. There were 4 of us and whilst we cycled around a very large park, the kids did a cycling session with a sister’s husband who is a cycling coach. Sisters have asked me how on earth do you cycle with jilbaab and believe me it is possible. One of the sisters that cycled today wears niqab and we all felt wonderful riding on our bikes, alhamdulillah.

And then as we were walking back from the cycling session to the car, the kids were doing this and I just thought what a classic Home Ed picture and just had to take it (!) :

Whilst everyone is at school stuck to tables and chairs, here is what R and a sister's kids are doing...I love HE! 🙂

I was going to end this post with the above picture but then had to share what happened as we sat down for dinner today. Hubby was on his way back from work, and we were all eating Tagine Zaytun. The following conversation unfolded:

R: Ummi, when animals die, do we put them in a box and then into the ground

Me: Well, as Muslims – we cover a dead body in white material and then put them into the ground. But we don’t put the box into the ground.

R: Oh… (Thinking)

Me: (Carried on eating and feeding baby Z)

R: So is it haram to put it in the box?

Me: We follow Allah and His Messenger and every believer is buried covered in white cloth, not in a box.

R: Will I be buried like that?

Me: Yes inshaAllah.

R: Who will bury me?

Me: Abi, inshaAllah.

R: Who will bury baby Z?

Me: Abi, inshaAllah.

R: Who will bury you?

Me: Abi, inshaAllah.

R: And who will bury Abi?

Me: Some of your amoo (uncles)

R: But if Abi dies and he is buried, that means I won’t see him ever again.

Me: (Oh dear, what do I say?!)

Me: Well…if Abi dies, then inshaAllah we will see him again in jannah inshaAllah.

R: But that won’t be for a very long time. (Her eyes reddened and became enlarged. She tried to hold back the tears and then….the bank burst!)

She cried and cried and cried. And it wasn’t a moany childish cry. It was a cry out of pain and the fear of loss.

I obviously took her into my arms and held her.

R: I don’t want Abi to die. I want to see him every day.

Me: Yes, but we don’t know what Allah will bring us. Right now he is on his way home, so don’t worry inshaAllah. But if Allah does make Abi die, then that means that Allah loves us a lot inshaAllah because the pain we will feel will wipe away our sins.

She carried on crying.

Did I explain it in the correct way? I’m not sure. I hope so.

I then realised that my daughter had just understood what it means to die. And all of a sudden the reality of the importance of her upbringing, of this Home Ed journey dawned on me.

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Asalamu Alecum sister what a beautiful morning we had at the get together Alhamdulliha. But Subhan Allah what an emotional end to your day I have tears in my eyes sister reading this as lately I too have been worried about explaining death to my children but may Allah help us all on our home ed journey.Amin

I think that was a good way mashallah. All kids suddenly get this realisation that parents too can die. With with mine, we’ve had a long sobbing and hugging session when that happens. We then turn the focus to talk about Jannah alot where our real home would be inshallah and no one and nothing ever has to go away; examples of RasulAllah losing his parents but that Allah still always looks after everyone even if that happens. Sometimes people say having a goldfish or pet helps kids to realise that everything must go one day-sorry if that sound a bit morbid lol!

Salam alikoum sis,
Aaaaaahhhh….brought tears to my eyes too. I really shouldn’t read your posts while I’m at work! – just in case.
Masha’Allah, I think you did a good job explaining too. It must be tough to find a way to explain these kinds of things on a kiddies level…
xxx